


A Changing Northern Sky

by hufflepuffsquee



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Slow Burn, pre stream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-30 14:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8536924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepuffsquee/pseuds/hufflepuffsquee
Summary: Kima receives a vision from Bahamut about a red dragon terrorizing the continent, and travels to Emon in order to join the group meeting with the Pansophical in order to do something about it. There, she joins Allura's group of friends in their efforts to rid the world of this dragon. But their adventure by no means will end there. Assassin plots, a forced marriage, emotions, and distance will all present unanticipated difficulties for Kima and Allura both. It's just a matter of where, exactly, these circumstances lead the pair. Done for NaNo2016.





	1. Prologue

**PROLOUGE**

“He calls himself the Cinderking, and he wants to make the world his.”

Kima finished her explanation and remained where she was, standing in the study of High Bearer Vord, dressed only in her training leathers, maul at her side. While there was an undeniable grandeur about the whole of the Platinum Sanctuary, this study was the plainest room in the place. Simple, dark wood. Bookshelves on every wall. A pair of small windows just behind the desk that let in the warm light of early afternoon. The floor was wood, a lighter timber forming the symbol of Bahamut as an inlay.

The High Bearer himself was seated behind his desk, which was just as large and dark wooded and plain as the rest of the room, looking at her levelly. Though he was sitting, his chin was still tilted down in order to look Kima in the eye. She should have been used to it by now, people needing to look to down on her to make the contact, but she wasn’t and it irked her. Especially now. He had on that expression he liked to adopt where, even though she had just explained something, he was about to get really repetitive.

"You say this vision came to you in the night?" He finally said, voice low.

There it _fucking_ was.

"Yes." She inclined her head in a nod. "Which is why I requested to see you _immediately_."

She let a little of the irritation she feels seep into her voice. The vision had woken her early this morning, and she had told one of the Scale Bearers that she needed to speak to Vord as soon as she could. The man had nodded and promised her it would be so before setting off, she assumed, to speak to Vord. Now the sun was creeping past its zenith, where it had been when she was finally summoned to speak to her superior and mentor. Not nearly so immediately as she had hoped.

"And," he continued, his voice just as low and leveled and measured, giving no indication he heard her annoyance. "You say there is a dragon?"

She gripped the pummel of her maul in order to keep herself from exploding in a way that she knew was entirely inappropriate for the moment, for this place, for the present company. Quick of temper though she might have been, it wouldn’t do to lose her grip on it in front of the High Bearer. She had not been here long and if she hoped to ever rise in her place her, to become better as a paladin to Bahamut, Vord was the man she must be in good graces with.

"Yes." Another nod, voice clipped and quick. "A red dragon of monstrous power and size. I do not have full details, I saw only flashes. But he is ancient, centuries old, and believed dead by many. Should he spread his reign, it will spell disaster for Exandria."

The High Bearer hummed, brow raising only slightly. The fact that they can go higher than they were previously vexed Kima to no end in this moment.

"And you believe this to be a vision from Bahamut."

"I know it is." She said, voice full of conviction as she stepped forward so she was just in front of Vord's desk. That tenuous grip on her temper was slipping at Vord’s thinly veiled disbelief in what she said. "I can feel it."

"There is no guarantee," he murmured, "it may have just been a dream. Kima, you are young, barely entering your twentieth year. You may not be ready for such a journey, or for Bahamut's word."

Oh, _fuck it._

"Dammit, Vord!" She slammed a fist into the wood of the desk as she shouted. "I am not a child! Yes, I am young, but you have told me since I came to the Platinum Sanctuary to listen for the word of Bahamut. And that is what I have done! I have prayed and meditated and listened, and now he has spoken. Very clearly. To me. This is something I must do, young or not.”

A silence fell in the small study, and Kima immediately began to regret her outburst.

The regret only grows as Vord stared her down, brows knitting together slightly, a muscle jumping in his jaw.

This was it for her. This would be where her journey as a paladin of Bahamut ended. She would never going to see the inside of the Platinum Sanctuary again, she would have no chance of ever being part of the Order. Her path was going to end here and would have to go back to being some piss poor nobody from the outskirts of Westrunn. She clenched her jaw in an effort to keep the emotions welling up in her at bay.

Finally, after what felt like about a thousand years, Vord sighed and lowered his head. He brought up his hands, fingers laced, and braced his elbows on his desk while he rubbed his forehead with his thumbs.

“You are right.” He said at length.

Kima’s jaw dropped. There was no way in all of the Nine Hells she heard that right. Not after _that_ little outburst.

“I… What?”

Oh, that sounded smart. Well done, Kima. First you yell, then you sound like an idiot. Clearly the makings of one chosen by Bahamut.

“You have a point, and a very good one.” Vord raised his head and set his chin on his hands as he spoke. “You have done precisely what you were asked when you came here and Bahamut has chosen you for this. I will admit, I was being unfair to you when I questioned your vision. I had, rather foolishly, hoped that it had been an ordinary dream. Namely for your own well-being. But I know firsthand it is impossible to mistake a sign from a deity for what it is. Particularly a warning about a chromatic dragon from the Platinum Dragon himself.”

Vord rose and came to stand in front of Kima, a hand on her shoulder. She was still looking at him in disbelief, but it was starting to fade. She almost wanted to vibrate with the excitement the prospect of this quest was bringing her.

“You were chosen, yes. This dream was granted to you and you are the one who must see this through. Now, tell me, did your vision give you any place to start?”

She nodded, keeping herself in control, movements carefully measured so as not to betray that she wanted nothing more than to jump into the air and whoop.

“I was shown a gathering of the Arcana Pansophical in the city of Emon. Whether the gathering has yet begun, I do not know, but that is where I am to go.”

“I will secure you passage as far as Emon via airship. From there, you shall have to arrange travel with your companions, but you will be supplied with a sufficient amount of gold from the Sanctuary funds.”

“Understood.”

“Do you wish to go alone?”

She considered for a long moment, very seriously. She had friends at the Sanctuary, certainly, and they would be great help. But the company would come with a detriment to her speed, as well as raising the chances of casualties in removing the threat of this dragon. This was her vision, this was her journey to make. To take others, possibly to die, didn’t feel right.

“I… believe so, yes.” She finally said. “I will be able to travel more quickly that way. I will send word when I arrive in both Emon and again once I reach another significant town. Likely at Kymal, if we stop there on our way to the Stormcrests.”

The hand that is on her shoulder squeezed for a flash of a second and, in the same instant, the High Bearer’s expression softened.

“Take care of yourself, Kima. Return to us safely.”

“I will, High Bearer. Once I have carried out the will of Bahamut.”

“Before you leave, be sure you visit the armorer. He will secure you with the supplies you need to protect yourself. Then to the treasurer, who will supply you with funds.”

He stepped away from her and she bowed low before turning and fairly sprinting from his study.

Finally, the chance to become someone. Bahamut spoke to her, chose her personally. Any doubts she may have ever had about choosing this path in her life had vanished. She was ready for whatever would come, even a dragon. Besides, with Bahamut on her side, what chance could a chromatic dragon stand against her?

 


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kima crashes a meeting, makes new friends, and decides to arm wrestle.

**CHAPTER ONE**

The meeting with the Pansophical had been dragging on for hours. It felt somehow longer, almost as though it had been days, but Allura suspected that was merely a side effect of her own desire to be out of the presence of the Pansophical’s head: Kyrenic Xario. An elven man, imperious and angular, he had done nothing but speak down to Allura and her friends since their arrival. He hadn’t believed a word they’d said, and it seemed as though many of his colleagues were taking their lead from him. Allura wondered, briefly, if bringing up her heritage and nobility status might change his attitude toward them, but immediately thought better of it. He might look into her family name, and that would only make things worse for them in the long run.

So Allura sat and held her tongue when she needed to and answered questions when silence wasn’t the answer, and her companions followed her lead, if with obvious annoyance.

For example, Sirus was sitting, fiddling with his panpipes. He wasn’t playing, but he turned them over and over again with dexterous fingers. He’d spent the first hour braiding the hair that he let hang in his eyes, small braids, large braids, doing them and then undoing them. He hadn’t touched the long braid down his back, but Allura knew that he would move to that once he tired of turning his pipes over in his fingers. Dohla had her feet on the table, chair tipped back, using the tip of an arrow to clean under her fingernails. She was tense, her sturdy figure drawn tight as her bowstring. Allura thought it was a miracle she hadn’t brought out one of her daggers to clean beneath her nails, in favor of an arrowhead. Finally, there was Ghenn, who was finishing up re-braiding their meticulously groomed beard, the auburn color accented in the torchlight. With an air of finality, the dwarf secured one last glass bead into one of the braids and sat back with a sigh, clearly bored out of their mind.

“Tell us again what it is you saw.” Kyrenic said, and Allura very nearly screamed.

“We were coming upon the Gladepools in the Verdant Expanse,” she began, for the sixth time. “and we saw the smoke before anything else. We had thought there might have been some raid on the area, assailants from the sea. When we were within sight, we saw the true nature of the destruction. The entire area had been razed and burned, some embers still white hot. I don’t know how recent the attack was, we didn’t hear any of it. It was either very recent, or his fire is that hot… There had been settlements beforehand, but they were just ash by the time we arrived. I didn’t see a single living soul from the town. What we did see, at a great distance, was the drake itself, but it was too far to make out any details.”

“And this,” Kyrenic interrupted, “is where my issue lies. It’s so very convenient that you arrived only directly after the attack. That you only saw him from a distance. That you cannot verify _anything_.”

“The destruction in the Gladepools is still there, if you fancy yourself a little bit of a trip.” Sirus spoke with a syrup sweet tone, polite grin on his face, but there was a hardness in his eyes. “Trust us, there’s still so much ash down south, it’ll take years to blow it all away.”

“That hardly means it was a dragon.”

“Oh, of course, you’re right!” Sirus snorted and sat back in his seat. “And I suppose any claw marks won’t mean anything either.”

“What my companion means is that this attack was undeniably a dragon.” Allura said. “We then utilized other towns in the area that the dragon had left untouched. Mercenaries and volunteers for a militia.”

“And how long did this take you to do?” Another interruption from the head of the table before them.

“A week or so.”

“Rather than telling anyone immediately?” His brows arched high, nearly disappearing into his hairline.

“Yes, as we thought that we might be able to simply take care of this dragon on our own. We had no idea what waited for us… We tracked it to its home in the Stormcrests and were met with droves of lizardfolk under its influence. That was our first indication that this was not an average dragon. We lost several to this force, but made our way to his lair. Upon arriving, we realized we were hopelessly outmatched. This is a dragon that is larger and more ancient than any I’ve ever seen. We stood no chance against it, and retreated, starting immediately to Emon to call upon you.”

There was a long stretch of near silence, broken only by a few members of the Pansophical murmuring to themselves.

“And what-”

Whatever condescending question was about to seep from Kyrenic’s mouth was lost to the slam of the hall’s door against the wall. Every head in the room turned to see who had caused the tremendous bang, Allura whipping her head around so quickly she was nearly slapped in the face by her long braid.

“Oh, shit…” The Halfling in the doorway said, genuinely surprised. “Guess I’m used to heavier doors. Sorry about that… Shit.”

The woman in the doorway, framed in the daylight pouring in from the street was clad in silver armor with blue trim, the image of the head of a dragon emblazoned on her chest. She had a maul slung over her shoulder and held herself tall and strong.

“Ah.” The corner of Kyrenic’s mouth lifted. “And the final member of this little group has arrived. I assume, then, that you are the emissary that has been sent to us from the Platinum Sanctuary in Vasselheim?”

“That’d be me, yeah.” The woman stepped forward, and Allura got the distinct impression that this was not her element. This was a woman used to fighting and sparring, leading a rough and tumble life. Maybe she’d be able to liven up this meeting some… “Sorry about the doors, that was seriously loud.”

The Halfling stopped, standing at the end of the long table that Allura and her companions had been instructed to occupy, looking ahead and slightly up to the raised platform upon which the Pansophical’s table rested. She locked eyes with Kyrenic, and Allura saw many expressions flicker across her face in a short time before she reached the obvious conclusion about the Panshopical’s head: pompous asshole.

Sirus, who was seated farthest from Allura, had angled himself in his chair to turn to get a good look, and was now shaking his head in amusement, wry smile painting his features. Dohla seemed to be ignoring the Halfling completely, her focus instead on the Pansophical, hands folded politely in front of her, the picture of a rapt listener. All four legs of her chair were on the ground now, and she looked bright and alert. Allura knew better. Dohla had long ago mastered sleeping with her eyes open. Ghenn had used the opportunity that the interruption gave to rummage in their pack. Within moments, and all in near complete silence, they had retrieved a wine bottle and goblet, poured a healthy portion for themself, and the bottle replaced.

“Your arrival has provided a welcome break.” Allura broke the silence, offering a hand in greeting. “I am Allura, and I must say that it is good to have someone else present who knows about this dragon.”

“That sounds to me,” The handshake that Allura received was firm, just on the verge of too tight. “like these blowhards don’t want to believe what you’re saying about our scaly friend. The name’s Kima, by the way.”

“An accurate observation, Kima.” Allura nodded, biting back a smirk as she gestured for Kima to take the seat next to her. “I go by Allura, and I’m hoping that you can assist us in convincing the Pansophical that this threat is real and that we are in desperate need of aid.”

“You must understand.” Kyrenic’s tone had become placating, as though he was explaining something very difficult to a very small child. “You are telling a very serious story. And news we received of you coming to us only adds to the strangeness of it all. The High Bearer informed us that you had a _dream_. That showed you the dragon and then gave you the impression that you were to come here. Even more strange, we heard tell of your imminent arrival before we had agreed to meet the group already present here.”

“I guess that means you should trust gods when they send you someone.” Kima said, taking her seat. “It was a vision, by the way, not just a dream. A vision of the dragon, then of this meeting place. The High Bearer already drilled me about it all, so there’s not really a point to doing that. It’s not my fault if you think that High Bearer Vord is full of shit, but I really would want you do know that it’s not a train of thought I’d recommend taking.”

There was a silence so complete that you could have heard a pin hit the floor. It was broken by a quiet snickering from Dohla that rapidly became a full-belly laugh. The elf had woken from her doze at some point and remained silent, but that was obviously no longer the case.

“By the gods,” she said, laughter fading. “That certainly sets a lot on the table for you lot to chew on.”

“I will have respect in this hall.” Kyrenic hissed, glaring her down. When Dohla only waved a hand as though shooing a fly, his attention turned back to Kima. “The High Bearer was very detailed, yes. Still, I cannot help but wonder what such a vision could mean when it comes from a deity who is, and _do_ correct me if I am wrong about this, a… dragon?”

“Yup. Platinum Dragon Bahamut.” Kima nodded, smiling in a way that did not reach her eyes. “Who, and I don’t know if you know this but you really should, really likes to look after his Paladins. Just a fair warning and all that.”

“Was that a _threat_?” Though the word was a soft hiss, it carried in the quiet of the room.

“No, I think I’m smart enough not to do that. I’m just telling you, like I said. Do you need to clean out those ridiculously pointy ears?”

This time, it was Allura that laughed. The reaction came suddenly, taking even her by surprised. She snapped her mouth shut, still tamping down giggles. Every head turned to her. Sirus let out a snort, Dohla was clapping quietly, and Ghenn had frozen with the goblet partway to their lips.

“This is amusing to you, then, Allura?”

It was another member of the Pansophical who spike this time, quietly. She was a dark skinned woman, with a stern face and calm demeanor. It was she who spoke when Kyrenic got over zealous, bringing the atmosphere down again with a few simple words.

“No, no.” Allura cleared her throat, and once again donned an expression and posture that came from being a daughter of wealth. She stood to address the entirety of the gathering. “I apologize most sincerely. It is simply that this line of conversation is getting us nowhere. Some of you seem to outright refuse to believe us, and yet there are five of us before you who know of this dragon. My party and I saw his ruin, we lost allies to his armies, and we barely escaped with our own lives. Kima herself has journeyed here across an ocean to aid us at the behest of a deity.”

She looked each of the people at the table before her in the eye, one at a time and with slow deliberation.

“This threat is real, and we are in desperate need of your aid in order to remove it. If you sit and do nothing, you will be directly responsible for whatever lives are lost because of this beast. We will move on it, make no mistake, and will make efforts against is by arcanic means. Should you refuse to believe us, should you refuse your aid to us, those who are outvoted in this matter may join us without the approval or affiliation of the Arcana Pansophical. But I grow tired of this. We need your expertise to carry out a plan we have devised, but you are unwilling to even most past the debate about this dragon’s mere existence. If you will not agree, we will leave.”

“What, I show up and the fun’s over?” Kima was smirking. “Seems a little unfair. Want me to add some muscle to those claims, Allura?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Kyrenic sighed and rubbed his temples, color high in his face from Kima’s earlier words and Allura’s outburst of laughter. “We will… Discuss this. Overnight. Can that be agreed upon? An evening to discuss this matter in private? We would reconvene on the morrow at the same time.”

“That is agreeable.”

“You said you had your own plan?”

“We do. We will only discuss it if you agree to give us your aid. Otherwise, it must remain secret.”

“Understood.” Kyrenic waved a hand. “Do what you must to occupy yourselves until we meet tomorrow.”

“Sure.” Dohla stood. “We’ll let you stuffy fucks get your shit together.” She sat forward, having been leaning on the back two legs of her chair, and rose.

Kima laughed and slapped the table with an open palm. “Agreed. I like you.”

Allura bit back a smile as she rose, bowing a head to the table before her. “Until tomorrow, then.”

The party, now with Kima in tow, did not wait to be formally dismissed before exiting the hall. They’d already made their impression on the Pansophical, and Allura would wager that it had been a rather poor one indeed. There was really no point in carrying on with formalities any more.

“How long had those blowhards kept you in there before I stepped in?” Kima asked as they stepped into the sunlight and stretched. The Halfling rolled her neck and Allura heard several bones pop at a volume that seemed painful.

“Gods, I can’t even say.” Allura undid her braid, shaking out her hair and combing it with her fingers. “Dohla? How long would you say it was?”

“Three hours and twenty minutes.”

“Bullshit.” Kima laughed. “You don’t actually know that. You can’t.”

“She can and does.” Ghenn said with a nod, the beads in their beard clacking and tinkling as they did. “Expert. Dunno how she does it.”

“It all just sticks.” Dohla tapped the side of her head. “Right up here.”

“It’s about the only thing that does.” Sirus said, gently elbowing Dohla. The rogue gave him a grin and an elbow in turn.

“Right… So. What’s there to do for fun in Emon?” Kima was looking around.

“Have you never been?” Allura was surprised.

“Nah. Grew up in Westruun and went from there to Vasselheim. Never seen this city in my life. Besides, if I had? Definitely wouldn’t have been the fancyshits district.”

“Cloudtop.” Allura clarified.

“Said that, didn’t I? Fancyshits.”

“Drinking is always an option.” Came Ghenn’s low voice, head nodding toward a nearby tavern.

“I mean, as is stabbing oneself.” Sirus said, eyeing the sign of the establishment. A barfight gone poorly a few months back had made him wary of public drinking.

“Actually, Sirus,” Allura interjected, “I was wondering if you and I could contact your allies at the Pyrah tribe again. We may need them tomorrow, and I’m optimistic that we will.”

“For the artifact we discussed, yes?”

“Exactly. If they could bring it here, work could be started immediately after tomorrow’s meeting.”

Sirus nodded, running a hand through his pale ginger hair. “Well thought, Allura. Sorry, you three. We won’t be joining… whatever mischief you find yourselves in.”

“Don’t get arrested.” Allura made eye contact with Dohla, who held her hands up in mock surrender.

“See you back at the inn?” Ghenn asked, receiving nods from Sirus and Allura as they left.

“She seems… really serious.” Kima said.

“Ah, it’s just right now.” Dohla shrugged and started for the tavern. “Bigass dragon will do that to you, you know.”

“Guess so. They should find more effective ways to burn off the stress.” Kima shoved open the tavern door, inhaling deeply the smell of ales, smoking meats, and of people packed into a place. “Like _that_.” She pointed to a table in the middle of the tavern where two individuals had hands clasped, straining against each other in an arm wrestling match that had drawn the attention of every patron.

“Good thinking!” Dohla slapped Kima on the back. “Wanna give it a go?”

“Against who, them or you?”

“Me, course.”

“Putting money down?”

Dohla snorted.

“Hell no. Only bet against strangers, not friends or allies.”

“Right.” Kima grinned and looked to Ghenn. “You?”

Ghenn shook their head. “Wine.” Was their parting word as the dwarf moved to the bar.

“Quiet one…” Kima frowned a little, watching them go.

“Ghenn? Yeah. They keep to themselves. Listen, it’s better when they’re quiet. Means they’re feeling alright and they like you. If they get chatty, it’s because they’re angry. Then… Shit.” Dohla laughed. “Last person who made Ghenn angry went through two walls. Thick ones.”

Kima laughed and the pair settled at the sidelines of the arm wrestling table, waiting for their turn.

When it came, the crowd seemed to thin a little and the volume fell considerably. They must not have looked terribly intimidating, one of them being long and lithe and the other being just over three feet tall. Kima scowled at the difference in atmosphere as she placed her elbow on the wood of the table.

“Better make this worth it, elf.” She growled out with a smile.

“Just try to hold your own, shorty.” Dohla shot back, placing her elbow on the table and gripping Kima’s hand, her olive skin contrasting against Kima’s.

There was a pause, the crowd hushing as they waited for the signal. Then, the barmaid officiating dropped her hand with a shout of “Go!”

For a long moment, there was a complete equilibrium between them. Then, Dohla strained hard, flexing for all she was worth in one sudden burst. Kima’s arm went to one side, nearly halfway down, before she grunted and forced Dohla’s hand up, both of them coming to rest at their peak again.

“Good shot.” Kima grunted out, smirking. “Not good enough, though.”

Dohla snorted and kept her focus on their joined hands. Another flex and Kima’s arm was near the table again, and this time the Halfling didn’t bring it back up, merely held it at bay. Dohla grinned as Kima panted, a vein in her forehead bulging.

“That one better for you?” Dohla laughed a little.

Kima offered no reply, merely growled as she heaved her arm up, this time going past the peak, but only just.

The crowd was far more interested now, growing raucous as Kima seemed to finally gain the upper hand in their match. Her face stayed stern but her eyes seemed to spark. Another flex, and Dohla’s arm was halfway to the table. The rogue tried and failed to hide her surprise, working hard just to keep Kima’s arm at bay. With a surge, she brought their arms back to the peak and over, barking out a laugh.

“Come on, Paladin! Where’s your dragon now?”

Kima offered no reply, merely brought their arms back to where they’d been moments before in one fell motion. Dohla and Kima had locked eyes now, sweat beading on their foreheads. Kima was grinning, certain of victory, and Dohla watched her expression carefully. Then, as Kima was between breaths, Dohla heaved her arm hard one last time. Kima, caught off guard, struggled as best she could, but with a final burst of effort, Dohla had the back of Kima’s hand hitting the wood of the table with an audible _thunk._

The crowd positively exploded and Dohla jumped not just to her feet, but onto the chair she had been occupying. She raised her hands over her head, clenched into fists, and gave a long, wordless yell of victory.

“I’m usually not this pleased when someone kicks my ass!” Kima yelled over the crowd when Dohla dropped down into her seat. “But you’re the exact kinda person I want with me if we’re fighting a big fuckoff dragon!”

“I think loser ought to buy the winner a drink.” Dohla winked at Kima before rising and moving to where Ghenn was at the bar. Kima followed and obliged, plopping onto the stool next to Dohla.

“Hope you like dark beer.” She said, “Cause that’s what I ordered you.”

“S’the only beer worth anything.”

“Exactly!”

The three fell into a quieter attitude, as much as one could in a tavern this loud, drinking and talking and simply passing the time until, at some late hour, they made their way out.

“Where’re you bunked up?” Dohla asked Kima.

“Some place down this way. Uh… Shit, what’s it called… Blackstone Inn.”

“Same as us, then!” Dohla grinned. “We’ll walk together.”


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which A Decision is Made

**Chapter Two**

The trio made their way to the inn, finding Allura and Sirus already seated in the common area.

“Good, you’re back.” Allura waved them over, “Sirus and I are ready for tomorrow.”

“How’d it all go?” Dohla sprawled herself on one of the chairs, legs draped over one arm of it.

“Extremely well.” Sirus sat forward, green eyes alight with excitement. “But it’s best discussed in our rooms upstairs, where Allura has ensured us privacy.” He glanced at Kima, then at Allura, who gave him a slight nod. “You are welcome to join us, Kima.”

“Good to know. It’s all that hush-hush, is it?”

“It must be.” Sirus said as he led the way. “Should this dragon find out any part of our plans, he may be able to avoid being stopped entirely. And should others find out what we intend to use against him… What we will utilize requires immense power that should not be openly discussed. That kind of power in the wrong hands could prove more devastating than the dragon itself.”

“Shit. You making some kind of bomb?” Kima’s face seemed to pale as they mounted the stairs.

“Not quite.”

They all settled into one room, Sirus holding a finger over his lips as he watched Allura. She faced the door and murmured words Kima couldn’t understand. Her palms glowed, as did the door and windows. The glow faded slowly, leaving an after image when Kima blinked.

“This room is now secure.” Allura said, turning to lean against the door. “Sound proof as well as scry proof. We can now safely discuss our plans here.”

“Right.” Sirus, as he so often did, took center stage, so to speak. “I have contacts in the Pyrah tribe of the Ashari. They have found, on their lands, a crystal of ancient power, dating back to when the world was created. It is tied in its very essence to the fire plane, and can be used as a binding element.”

“So we would… Lock a fire breathing dragon in the plane of fire?” Kima looked doubtful. “That seems… Not smart, to be completely honest with you.”

“Hence why we would ensure he could never escape.”

“And how are you gonna do that?”

“It will take time and a great deal of enchantment,” Allura said, “But the idea is… Well, there’s no real way to make it sound simple. You are aware of the creation stories, right? About how Exandria came to be?”

“Yeah. Fountains of Creation and all those myths. I know them.” Kima nodded. “Hang on, anyone mind if I get this armor off?”

Allura waved a hand for Kima to go ahead, continuing with her explanation.

“Yes. But they are not merely myths. They are reality, and are accessible from the elemental planes. The crystal in question was once the heart of a primordial fire titan. It can be used to bind a soul to the Fountains, as they are both from the same ancient beginnings, tied by the same magics.”

Kima paused, letting her breastplate drop to the floor. “Uh…. Okay. So ancient magic shit is what’s going to help us?”

“In its simplest elements, yes.” Allura nodded.

“So how’s this work? We throw the rock at him and he goes poof?”

Allura couldn’t help it, she laughed, shaking her head.

“Not really.” Sirus said, while Allura worked to master her giggles. “Enchantments will be placed upon this crystal that will do two things: One, it will be anchored to the Fountain within the Fire Plane, thus making it impossible to remove from there. Two, it will be tied to the dragon’s very soul. You understand what that means, yes?”

Kima was grinning and nodding now.

“He can’t leave the crystal, and the crystal can’t leave the plane. That dragon’s trapped forever.”

“Exactly!” Sirus clapped and pointed to Kima. “Several members of the Pyrah tribe will use their magics to get to Emon tomorrow, and they will join us in meeting the Pansophical. They will have the crystal hidden, as it is… Frankly massive. So all placement of enchantments will need to be done in secret.”

“So once this bigass rock gets here, we have… What, a week or so for this enchantment to get placed?”

This caused a silence and several looks to be exchanged, and Kima’s face fell.

“Placing these enchantments will, unfortunately, take quite some time.” Allura said. “Months. And that’s with the help of the Arcana Panshopical. Without them… I’m not certain how long it would take.”

“Aw, shit.” Kima, now down to smallclothes, flopped dramatically onto the nearest bed. “What the Hells do I do in this city for months while I wait around to kill a dragon?!”

“Same as us.” Ghenn said. “Train. Be strong. Be ready.”

“Ghenn is right.” Dohla nodded. “Those of us that can’t work that kind of magic will just… practice. We don’t just want to beat this dragon, we want to survive it. So we’ll need training, and equipment, and potions. We’ll take the time to train, raise money, and get what we need.”

“There is a shop in the Cloudtop district that also sells or will enchant items, Cadash Imporium for Enchantments and Magical Items.”

“That’s a mouthful.” Kima muttered, still staring at the ceiling.

“That it is. But he, and his assistant, are incredibly adept at enchanting not only weapons, but other items. Necklaces, rings, even armor. Those take time and gold, but I recommend looking into their wares.”

“And places to train?” Ghenn fingered the handle of their axe, eyes bright.

“The best places would likely be with the city guard. There may be other places in which you could simply fight and build strength, but more official training techniques will come from the guard.”

“They will take us?”

“A good point.” Sirus mused, toying with the end of his braid. “Well. We will either have to convince them, or they will allow us to simply on the principle that we will be working with the Pansophical. They seem to have plenty of sway in the city, so I can’t imagine people will tell us no if we’re genuinely with them.”

“What if they don’t listen?” Kima propped herself on her elbows. “You think people don’t bullshit their way around with stuff like that every day?”

“Simple.” Allura smiled. “We describe Kyrenic to them. Trust me, I doubt anyone who has never met him can quite escribe him accurately.”

“Pompous asshole.” Ghenn said.

“More like a high nosed cockhead.” From Dohla.

“Looks like there’s a drake egg shoved square up his tight ass?” Kima, this time.

“All well and good,” Sirus stepped forward, “but if I may?” He cleared his throat. “The epitome of pompous, Kyrenic carries himself with an air of superiority that can be detected miles off. He is so wrapped up himself it seems painful, and I feel that if his nose was any higher, it would be lost to the stars.”

This earned him applause from Dohla, Allura, and Kima.

“Shit. Remind me not to get on your bad side.” Kima wheezed. “That was _good_.”

Sirus took a bow, grinning. “Thank you, thank you.”

“It’s gotten him in trouble before, mind you.”

“There are certain areas of this district in which I am expressly not allowed.” The bard was grinning broadly. “Due to my satirizing of the noble who resides there. Fortunately, he doesn’t have the sway to banish me from the city in its entirety, or I’d likely not be with you right now.”

“Bullshit.” Dohla said. “You’re a master of disguise, I’ve seen you do it.”

“Ah, but that’s a trick best kept under a hat.”

Kima looked at him for a long, silent moment, expression slowly settling into a scowl.

“That was a fucking pun, wasn’t it?”

“Guilty.”

“Fucking shit.” Kima shook her head as she rose and gathered up her armor. “I’m going to bed before he does it again. That was just…. Jeez, that was bad.”

“Will you go with us tomorrow?” Allura asked, opening the door for Kima, who’s arms were now very full.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll go sit in the stuffy room full of stuffy people while we sort all of it out. I’ll meet you there.”

“Let me know if you need a guide around the district!” Sirus called.

“Right after I need a hole in the head.” Kima waved over her shoulder.

\---------

Come morning, Kima was the last one to breakfast.

“What took you so long, then?” Sirus asked, already pushing away an empty bowl. “Sleeping in?”

“Morning routine.” Kima answered, reaching for the plate of bacon. Rather than putting some on her own plate, she settled for simply eating off of the serving platter.

“Need to get all prettied up?” Sirus laughed at his own joke.

“Nah. Need to build muscle.”

“You’re kidding…”

Kima looked at Sirus, a piece of bacon halfway to her mouth. Slowly, she lowered it.

“Listen, pretty elf. Before you were awake, I was running a kilometer after doing fifty pushups, pull ups, sit ups, and jumping jacks each. When you guys finally decided to wake up, I was taking a nice bath.”

There was silence, broken by Dohla.

“You’re shitting us.”

“Nope.” She grabbed a nearby tankard, filled it with water, and took a slow drink. “That’s how things go when you’re a paladin. At least at the Sanctuary it is.”

“So did it get you ready to meet with the Pansophical again?” Allura asked. “Because we set off within an hour to be certain we meet our allies on time.”

“Listen. Nothing can prepare me for a meeting that’s _that_ stuffed shirt. Especially if what’shiself is going to be that fucking obnoxious again. Gods, that was a nightmare.”

“He will likely be ever moreso, now that he’s had a night’s rest and gets to dangle the Pansophical’s decision over our heads.” Allura rubbed her temples.

“Fantastic.” Kima finished off another piece of bacon before looking sadly down at the now empty serving platter. “Well. Guess I’m as prepared as I’ll ever be, then.”

“That much bacon?” Ghenn said, standing. “You’re ready.”

Kima laughed as the group’s assorted members, now with her apparently seamlessly folded in, rose to head out.

“Where and when will we meet these friends of yours, then, Sirus?” Kima asked.

“They will meet us outside of the hall we were in yesterday. They will not have the object we discussed with them, as it is too large. It has been transported to a much more secure place and will be held there until it is needed.”

“How many are we expecting?”

“Four. A human, two half elves, and a dwarf.”

“Dwarf druid?” Ghenn asked.

“Oh, yes. Members of any race can study the druidic magics.”

Ghenn hummed, their brow furrowed.

“At any rate. I’ll introduce them more formally when we meet up with them.”

“Right.” Kima nodded. “Gotcha.”

Soon enough, they’d made their way to the hall to find four people there. All had dark skin and a hardy look to them, and Kima supposed that living right on top of a volcano that opened to the elemental plane of fire would do that to you.

“Right. Introductions.” Sirus clapped, grinning. “This is Kima, Dohla, Ghenn, and Allura. From the Pyrah tribe, we have Serena, Eletha, Iymbryl, and Darrac.”

In turn, the human, the female half elf, male half elf, and dwarf nodded.

“What will you want us to do, once we are inside?” Darrac asked in a deep, heavily accented voice.

“For the most part, until we are certain that we have secured the aid of the Pansophical, we ask that you only answer direct questions.”

Darrac nodded. “This we can do.”

“Now, there’s a chance that the Pansophical’s head, Kyrenic, will be… difficult to tolerate.” Allura started, but was interrupted by Sirus.

“Don’t downplay, Allura, he’s a fucking prick. He’s obnoxious, pompous, and will absolutely think himself better than you.”

“That’s… well, yes. And that is almost a mild way of putting it. Be aware that, though he will push your buttons, we do still need their aid. Desperately. Should he prove himself too stubborn to grant us the aid that we need, we will more than likely be able to persuade other members of the Pansophical to help us without his approval. I hope it will not come to that, but if it does, our best option will be to allow Sirus and I to convince them. Sirus has a way with words.”

“I thank you most kindly, Allura.” Sirus grinned at her.

“Don’t let it go to your head.” She administered a gentle backhand to Sirus’ shoulder.

“Too late for that by a long shot, I think.” Kima laughed heartily and loudly, head tossed back.

Sirus was about to deliver a retort, maybe even some defense, but was stopped as the door opened.

“We are ready to resume our meeting.” Kyrenic said, chin up and expression almost distasteful.

Kima wanted to punch him.

The party followed him inside, resuming their places at the table. New chairs were added for the visitors from the Pyrah tribe, and soon everyone was settled. There was a terse silence as the occupants of the room waited for Kyrenic to seat himself, and then wondered who it was that was expected to speak first.

“This meeting of the Arcana Pansophical,” Kyrenic said after the pause had, apparently, been dramatic enough for his liking, “will now come to order. The issue being discussed is that of providing aid to this group of adventurers in their efforts to remove the threat of a supposed ancient red dragon.”

“Supposed…” Dohla muttered. “He exists, we’ve told you…”

It was low enough that Kyrenic didn’t hear, which was a mercy, as was proven when he continued speaking.

“After further deliberation last night, it was determined by our number that the dragon is, in fact, real. And, as such, he is a threat to Exandria. However,”

“Here we fucking go…” Kima hissed.

“That does not mean we should or will provide you aid. You mentioned at our previous meeting that you had a plan, but did into go into any details. Today, your number has increased by four without prior warning. So, before we can even begin to discuss the possibility of aiding you, we must know: What is this plan of yours?”

“All due respect.” Sirus stood. “We are not comfortable with discussing this plan with people who may not even help us see it come to fruition. There is simply too much sensitive information.”

Kyrenic’s eyebrows rose, and Kima wondered if it was some sort of nervous tick he had. He did it so often, and yet they always seemed capable of going even nearer to his hairline. It was astounding, really.

“Unless you can give us some idea of what you intend to do,” Kyrenic sniffed. “We will not even bother to waste any more time considering this course of action, and this meeting of the Pansophical will end right here.”

“Alright, alright, stop waving your clout around!” Dohla huffed, leaning back in her chair and drawing a dagger to clean under her nails. “We get it. We’ll tell you what we can.”

“Thank you, Dohla.” Allura said, voice tense. She rose as well. “Our allies that have joined us are from the Pyrah tribe of the Ashari, those who guard the elemental plane of fire. With their aid, and by enchanting an object that they have brought with them, we intend to seal the dragon’s very essence to the elemental plane. Does that answer suffice?”

A brief moment passed wherein Kyrenic exchanged glances with the others at the Pansophical’s table, all of them taking time for silent communication.

“That will do.” Kyrenic said, when they had apparently finished the nonverbal conversation. “You are certain that this plan will work?”

“The object that binds his soul will, in turn, be bound to the plane. He cannot leave without the object, and the object cannot leave the plane. He will spend the rest of his days there.” This time it was Eletha who spoke, her voice toned in the same accent that Darrac’s was. “Our druidic magics are strong, that is true, but we would benefit greatly in our efforts with the aid of the Pansophical.”

This seemed to boost Kyrenic’s ego some, not that he needed it, and he smiled.

“Well spoken. And your name?”

“I am Eletha, sir.”

“Are you the leader of your tribe, then?”

“I am not. He was unable to join us in this journey, as he is needed at home with our other tribe members. He may visit to look in on our preparations in binding this drake, and should he choose to, we will inform you before he arrives. I am training to one day hold his place.”

“It is appreciated, thank you.” Kyrenic nodded before exchanging more looks with those at his table. Some gave near imperceptible nods, others nothing, and one shook their head outright. “It has been decided by a majority vote that we will assist you in the enchanting process. Another meeting will be decided, once all arcanic preparations have been made, as to how many of us, if any at all, will accompany you in the sealing of the beast.”

Kima blinked, a bit shocked. All in all, considering how drag down yesterday must have been, this was painless. She wondered what had happened. Taking another look at the table, she noticed one of the women watching Kyrenic intently, nodding with approval and an almost smug grin. Ah, so she must have taking Kyrenic off his high horse. Kima made a mental note to congratulate her later, if they had the chance. Or to ask Allura to, since the magic users would probably spend the most time around each other.

“Now that our aid has been given,” Kyrenic asked. “I would ask that the members of the Pyrah tribe, Allura Vysoren, and Sirus will remain in the hall to discuss the particulars of how to bind this dragon. The others can remain if they wish, but are also free to go.”

With as much respect as she could muster in doing so, Kima practically leapt from the table. She made eye contact with Dohla as they left and the pair nodded. Time to find more entertainment in Emon.

As Ghenn, Dohla, and Kima left the hall.

“Want to come with us, Ghenn?” Kima asked.

“Pub?” They arched a brow.

“You bet.”

Ghenn shook their head.

“See you back at the inn, then.” Dohla laughed, turning to go.

Ghenn caught her arm and gave her a level look.

“Don’t forget. Training. Do not waste your time.”

Dohla gave Ghenn a smile. “One day of fucking around, yeah?”

“One.”

“You’ll bother me about it later, and you’ll be allowed to tomorrow.”

“I will. You, too, Kima.”

Kima threw Ghenn a casual salute.

“Of course, my good dwarf.” Kima elbowed Dohla. “Onward to ale!”


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which Training is Discussed

**Chapter Three**

Within the hall of the Pansophical, there was a stretch of silence that felt nearly eternal as the two tables seemed to size each other up. While it was true that the alliance had been made, there was still tension. Kyrenic’s attitude had not changed, nor had the tension it created dissipated any.

“I would like to be more formally introduced to our new companions and get an idea of what they can do.” Kyrenic said at last, gesturing with a hand for the members of the Pyrah tribe to step forward. They did, moving around to the front of their table.

“I am Eletha,” the female half elf spoke first, nodding. She, like all her companions, had dark skin. Her hair was black and braided down her back, nearly to her waist. “I am, if we must put the label on any of our number, the leader. I am studying to become headmistress of my tribe in time, and am well educated in the arcane arts of my people.”

“Serena.” The human nodded, her shoulder length bob of hair swinging forward as she did. “I have experience in sending elementals that come through our weak point back into the plane. I understand the mechanics of the binding magics that we will need to utilize.”

“Iymbryl.” The male half elf did not lower his head. He spoke quietly, eyes hard, his bald head somehow making his features even sharper. “Shapeshifter. Arcanist. Enchanter.”

“And I am Darrac.” The dwarf bowed at the waist. “I am the one who devised this plan. I know the histories of the objects we intend to use and how the enchantments we will place will make this effort one of success.”

“Very well.” Kyrenic nodded. “You may return to your seats.” When they had, he continued. “Now, I would like to know the details of this plan. What is this object you have spoken of?”

“It is a heart crystal.” Darrac answered. “Once, it was the heart of a primordial fire titan. As such, it can be bound to the Fountains of Creation, located within the plane, and also to the dragon.”

“And you have this object?”

“It is not with us at present, no. We have it safely hidden. If you would allow us the time, we can retrieve it now.”

Kyrenic nodded. “You are dismissed for however long it takes you to retrieve the item and bring it here. I ask that only the members of the Pyrah tribe do this.”

“As you say.”

As the four left, Allura addressed Kyrenic. “It will be Iymbryl who will need to direct most of the enchanting, I think, as he will understand the nature of the spells we need and how best to apply them. However, we will welcome your expertise once you have the time to understand how these spells work and will be cast. We want to be as efficient with our magical energy as possible and place these enchantments in as little time as is realistically possible. I understand that this is a massive undertaking, and thank you for your aid in this, but we do not have much time to spare.”

“Once I have seen this crystal and the spells have been discussed, I will be able to give you your estimate.” Kyrenic nodded. “I would not, however, advise starting our progress today.”

“I agree.” Allura nodded. “We will need the time to rest sufficiently and retrieve any supplies we may need.”

“Just so.”

“A final question,” Allura said. “One that I understand is a bit unorthodox. There is a young man working at one of the shops here, and his prowess for enchantment shows promise. You may know of him, he goes by the name of Shaun Gilmore.”

“I know of him, yes.” Kyrenic nodded. “And while you are right to inquire about more hands to aid in this project, I believe that he is more invested in a career where he is now than he is for anything to do with the Pansophical. For everyone’s interest, I believe it is best we leave him to that. Besides, perhaps your companions can find projects to set him on that will further him in his trade.”

“Understood.”

There was quiet in the hall, save the odd small talk, as they waited for the members of the Pyrah tribe to return. As time passed, the atmosphere became more relaxed, and some members of the Panshophical left their table to meet Allura and Sirus halfway between. Conversations moved away from business and propriety and more into more personal terms, with members of both parties inquiring about origins, families, skills. By the time the four returned, all but Kyrenic were much more relaxed, and no one returned to their strict places at the tables when the doors opened. In fact, their arrival prompted Kyrenic himself to step down from the table.

Darrac held up a hand to stop the Pansophical head once he got within fifteen feet or so.

“You’ll want to stop there. It is larger than you might expect.”

“Would we rather have it here or move it to the workshop?” A golden dragonborn asked Kyrenic, his voice not as deep as one might expect.

“The workshop, I think.”

“How large is this workshop?” Serena asked. “It must be larger than twenty feet in diameter.”

Kyrenic smiled. “I can give you my word, it is considerably larger than even that.”

He led them through a doorway at the back of the hall, through several corridors, and down a large flight of stairs.

“The workshop of the Pansophical.” He said, opening a doorway and making a grand sweeping gesture.

Any irritation that Allura might have had at his obnoxious showmanship vanished as she stepped inside of the room. Within were countless crystals, jewels, weapons, ornaments, jars, vials, runestones. She walked slowly around the perimeter, knowing that her companions were doing the same. It took nearly fifteen minutes to make a full circuit, between her marveling pace and the sheer size of the room. Easily eighty feet in diameter, the room was round. From a high domed ceiling hung a multitude of skeletal reconstructions of plainly magical beings. A phoenix, an air mephet, a djinni, a wyvern, and she thought there was even a juvinille drake among them.

The shelves were another area a fascination. They were organized neatly, each section of the room belonging to a different collection. Runestones on one, for all manner of magics. Jars of preserved organs and tissues and blood from magical beasts. Allura recognized fire glands from salamanders, basilisk eyes, phoenix feathers. Some were labeled with creatures she knew lived only on other planes of existence. Goristro, Rakshasa, demons. Then there were the crystals. Again, she saw samples from the mortal plane as well as others, and she longed to ask to take some of them with her. On still another section were powdered ingredients. Dusts from other planes, grindings of bone or scale or feathers or fangs from various creatures. Sands made from the crystals were organized by property. Allura was starting to wish she had a notebook…

Unable to keep reading the miniscule labels, Allura turned her attention at least to the bookshelf at the end of this section, craning her head to look up at the multitude of volumes. They were beyond counting. Some she recognized, and in fact had read and owned copies of. Some she had been meaning to retrieve from the library in Westrunn. Some she had assumed were merely legends, books that were spoken of but did not truly exist. Some, she noted with great excitement, had flat out been banned in some arcanic universities. She wanted to sit and read forever.

After nearly twenty minutes of gawking, Allura head Kyrenic clear his throat softly. She turned, sheepish, to find him actually smiling.

“If we may continue?” He tried to keep his usual air of imperiousness in his tone, but his smile betrayed him. Perhaps he was an asshole, but he was clearly proud of this collection and enjoyed showing it to those who would appreciate it.

“Right, yes. Of course.” Eletha left the section of samples from creatures, replacing a jar of frost giant’s blood. “Everyone please stay toward the rooms perimeter. Could we clear these tables away, please?”

After everyone worked to clear a space thirty feet across in the center of the room, the members of the Pyrah tribe gathered in a square, all equidistant from each other. Darrac stepped forward and placed an object that, while invisible, was clearly the size of his fist in the center. He then resumed his place and all raised their right hands. At a nod from Eletha, they began to cast a spell that Allura did not recognize. Within moments, the object had come into the visible spectrum and reached its full size.

What struck Allura was that it was actually shaped very much like a heart, but was clearly completely solid. Its surface looked like that of a tumbled gem, completely smooth but shaped. The only places where it was jagged were where, on a heart of flesh, the veins and arteries would connect to the organ itself. The crystal had mere stumps of these, and it looked like these connections had shattered when the crystal was retrieved from the chest of the titan it had once resided in.

“May we?” Kyrenic asked, stepping forward.

“You may look. Be careful touching it. It has its own magics, fire based, but nothing so strong as to cause destruction. It will simply be hot and may reject certain touch. It is not dangerous, per say, but that doesn’t mean it can’t burn you.” Darrac nodded, gesturing to convey that any who wished to were welcome to investigate the crystal firsthand.

The Pansophical, as well as Sirus and Allura, walked around the crystal slowly. A few exploratory spells were used, and some of them gently placed hands on it.

“This is one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen…” Kyrenic murmured.

“Impressive, for one who lives so long.” Serena said, a small, satisfied smile on her face.

“That it is…” Kyrenic laughed a little, eyes never leaving the heart crystal. “I sometimes wonder if I have finally seen the most remarkable things, but there will always be something that comes along and surprises me. Usually it comes to me through the younger generations, I find…”

Once he was out of his element, Kyrenic was almost… kind. It was odd seeing his demeanor change as he examined the crystal.

There was a long span of silence while Kyrenic, as well as the other members of the Panshophical, thoroughly examined the crystal. Many of them made notes, quills scratching on parchment. Every so often, one would move to the bookshelf, shuffle through a seemingly random volume, then return to their examinations. Allura, Sirus, and the members of the Pyrah tribe all continued examining and familiarizing themselves with the workshop’s contents and layout.

“Right.” Kyrenic straightened, then turned abruptly on his heel to walk toward the bookshelf. “Through the rest of today, we will research what spells we will need to utilize in these enchantments.” He took down volume after volume, stacking them on a nearby table. “I would like Darrac to take the read on this operation and to direct us. I will want all of us to write down what spells we will use and what we will need in able to accomplish this. Understood?”

Everyone made a noise or gesture of affirmation, and Kyrenic began handing out the spellbooks. Allura took her book, found a quill and parchment, and settled in for a long day.

\-------

The next day, to her own great surprise, Allura woke early enough to hear Kima doing her morning exercises the next room over. She had spent all of yesterday and a good portion of that night in the Pansophical’s workshop, she and Sirus arriving at the inn later than their companions.

Kima and Dohla had already been asleep, or so they’d thought. Ghenn quickly clarified that they were “Not asleep. Passed out.”

While Allura didn’t know Kima well enough to have any of the words she wanted to with her, she knew Dohla. After preparing for the day, she went to Dohla’s room, knocking none too quietly.

“Hmmm?” A grunt came by way of reply.

“Dohla.” Allura opened the door and strode in, shutting it behind her. The rogue yelped and snatched covers up to cover herself. “I need to speak with you.”

“Couldn’t wait for me to get my shirt on?” Dohla forced the words out through a yawn.

“Not really, no. You and Kima spent the last _two_ nights drinking?” Allura threw up her hands. “We have to prepare to fight a dragon, Dohla! A massive, fire breathing, magically buffed _dragon_. You think ale is going to teach you something about getting rid of him?”

“Gods, Allura, no!” Dohla’s face had hardened. “A couple nights of fucking around won’t kill us, you know that. Hells, she’s up right now doing her morning routine and shit, you can hear her!”

“I’m not talking about Kima. I am talking about you, Dohla, and…. Listen.” She sighed and sat on the foot of the bed. “I need to know that you are taking this seriously. I need to know that you are preparing to fight a dragon, because if you are not ready when we move… You could die. I cannot lose one of my friends. That’s why I’m angry…”

Dohla blinked at her, expression slowly softening.

“I hear you,” She said, nodding, “and I understand. We wanted one more night, that was all, but you’re right. It was foolish, and I can see why it was so worrying. Today, Kima and I will find somewhere to train.”

Allura nodded and rose. “Thank you, Dohla. I recommend starting with the city guard.”

Dohla nodded. “Gotcha.”

“See you at breakfast?” Allura paused at the door and was greeted with a pillow to the face.

“If you let me get dressed, then yes!” Dohla shouted, but there was laughter in it, and Allura left the room doubled over in giggles.

“What’s got you so amused?” Kima asked as she left her room.

“Dohla.”

“She’s pretty great, yeah.” Kima still sounded a little confused.

“Going out for your run?”

“Nah.” Kima shook her head. “No run today, I go every other. Breakfast?”

“That’s where I was going.”

They went down to the dining area, which wasn’t as bare as Allura had expected, giving the hour. They told one of the serving staff that they would have the usual breakfast fare, then sat at a table they’d largely come to think of as ‘theirs’.

“So, how’d it go with all the stuffed shirts?” Kima asked, leaning back in her chair.

“Better than expected. Kyrenic was… different, when he actually got to do practical work. Less….”

“Less of an asshole?” Kima’s bows raised high.

“Yes, to put in ineloquently.”

“It’s the only way I know how to put things, princess.”

“Princess?” Allura spluttered, blinking at her.

“Yeah? Listen… You’re an adventurer, yeah. But I mean… watching you in those meetings? Sorry, but it’s a little obvious you’re noble born. The way you handled yourself in there gave it away. What, is it a secret?”

“No.” Allura said. “I’m just not used to people… seeing it.”

“At least you don’t really act like one. You know how to bring it out when you need to, you know. Like with the Pansophical. But outside of that? Thank god you act nothing like any noble I know.”

Allura smiled, letting the conversation pause as the food was brought out.

“And what about you?”

“Grew up in Westrunn. Got found by the Sanctuary. Went to Vasselheim. Not much to tell.” She reached for the breakfast rolls, splitting one and slathering it in butter.

“That’s all?”

“All that matters.”

“Oh, but all about you matters!” Sirus joined them, sitting himself next to Kima. “I assure you, every part of you is interesting.”

“Is he always like this?” Kima gestured with a thumb, looking at Allura. She then moved said thumb to her mouth, licking a glob of butter off of it.

“Constantly. You get used to it.”

“That’s a bold faced lie, Ms. Visoren!” Sirus sat up to reach across the table for the porridge, molasses, and sugar. “Just the other day I said something that shocked you so badly, you turned red from your neck to your ears!”

“That’s not… Sirus, you made that comment to an old woman!”

“And she was flattered, proceeding to offer us a forty percent discount.” Sirus winked as he spooned heaps of sugar into his bowl. “So never again doubt that power of my charm.”

The chatter continued off and on as members of their party filed down from their rooms, Dohla led by the smell of bacon and Ghenn by their own internal clock.

“So. Sirus and I will be back at the Pansophical workshop today.” Allura said, “Do you all know here you’ll be?”

“I’m going to ask about training with the guard.” Dohla said, raising her bacon as one might would an empty hand.

“I’ll go with Dohla.” Kima said.

“Endurance. I will run.” Ghenn  said.

“Let me know if you need any tips or a running buddy.” Kima said. “I can help.”

Ghenn nodded at her, the slight smile on their face showing their gratitude.

“Good. We’ll see you all tonight. Hopefully we’ll have a better estimate as to how long the enchanting process will actually take. I’m hoping it isn’t much more than a few months… Time is of the essence.”

The group parted ways for the morning, Kima and Dohla agreeing to meet Ghenn around midday for lunch and to see how each was faring.


End file.
